The Philippine National Police (PNP) has cautioned all its police commanders, especially in communist rebel-infested areas, to exercise additional safety measures in the conduct of all police activities.
This, after a rookie policeman was killed when a team of policemen conducting relief distribution in Gandara, Damar was ambushed by suspected communist rebels on Saturday morning, July 16.
Police Maj. Gen Valeriano De Leon, PNP Director for Operations, said the rebels are now projecting themselves as a strong force as they push to seek audience for another peace talks under the Marcos administration.
"The CTG (communist terrorist group) has a long history of treacherous attacks against government troops, including the PNP. We must take extra precautions to protect our personnel, especially when they visit remote areas," said De Leon.
Aside from targeting security officers on humanitarian missions, De leon said the communist rebels often set up police officers for ambushes by fraudulently reporting a crime in an area.
They would then ambush police officers along the route.
De Leon then advised police commanders and PNP troops to be cautious about their safety since the rebels would do whatever to seem to be a powerful group despite a series of setbacks in the last five years, when a number of its members and sympathizers opted to return to the folds of the law.
According to a report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the guerrilla fronts of the New People's Army (NPA) had decreased significantly since 2016, when there were 89 around the country.
In the most recent AFP evaluation, there were around 2,000 communist rebels nationwide.
De Leon said the PNP condemns the incident in Gandara, Samar.
"We condemn this heinous attack and will ensure that justice is served," said De Leon.
De Leon said that he expected the Police Regional Office 8 under the leadership of Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac to undertake both the follow-up operations and a legal offensive against those responsible for the ambush.